'The Judge Returns' drew a period to an epic journey.
On the 14th (Sat) in the final episode of MBC's Friday-Saturday drama The Judge Returns (planning Namgung Seong-woo, Chang Jae-hoon / screenplay Kim Kwang-min / directed by Lee Jae-jin, Park Mi-yeon / produced by OH Story, Slingshot Studio), Lee Han-young (Jisung) delivered a powerful final blow by seeking the death penalty for Kang Shin-jin (Park Hee-soon), the core of the great evil who had opposed him before and after his return. That day's ratings recorded 13.2% in the Seoul metropolitan area households and 12.8% nationwide according to Nielsen Korea, securing the No. 1 spot among Friday-Saturday dramas and bringing the grand finale to a close. In particular, the scene in which Lee Han-young, who had been fighting with a gang of thugs while searching for the smuggling Kang Shin-jin (Park Hee-soon), is backed up by Kim Jin-ah (Won Jin-a), Seok Jeong-ho (Tae Won Seok) and Park Cheol-woo (Hwang Hee) to wrap up the situation and tells Kang Shin-jin, "Let's go, to pay for your crimes," surged to a momentary peak nationwide rating of 17.2% on Nielsen Korea and provoked an explosive reaction from viewers. Moreover, reflecting changes in media consumption, the channel competitiveness core metric among viewers aged 20–54 was 4.5%, ranking first among all programs broadcast that day and adorning The Judge Returns' brilliant finale.
That day, Kang Shin-jin called the Suojae personnel to a restaurant and led the meeting with the chilling remark, "When the president dies, I will take them all with me," while threatening them with files detailing their corruption. Lee Han-young and Kim Jin-ah (Won Jin-a) chased Kang Shin-jin and faced a desperate crisis when they were surrounded by police, but escaped thanks to Kim Jin-ah's quick thinking. As Kim Yun-hyeok (Jang Jae-ho), who became Kang Shin-jin's henchman, hid trial-dealing documents and carried out obstruction operations, the ensuing fierce battle of wits made viewers' hearts race.
Later, when Kang Shin-jin visited Park Kwang-to (Son Byung-ho), he boasted that he could shake the fate of the next government by even mentioning the president-elect's corruption, and ultimately got hold of accounts of about 30 billion won that Park Kwang-to had. Afterwards, unlike the brazen Kang Shin-jin who voluntarily appeared at the prosecution and maintained a shameless attitude, Park Kwang-to, whose usefulness had expired, met a mysterious death in custody, once again proving the ruthlessness of power. The tragic end of using someone and discarding them suggested that the end of powerful figures who mock the law cannot be beautiful.
Confidently leaving the prosecution, Kang Shin-jin framed Lee Han-young as a murderer to pave the way for his return. But Lee Han-young did not give up and sought out the doctor who had been ordered by Kang Shin-jin, persuading him by asking, "How about refusing Kang Shin-jin's instigation to murder rather than attempted murder?" After a back-and-forth struggle, it became known that Kang Shin-jin had ordered the murder of Kwak Sun-won (Park Geon Il) and that he was the nominal beneficiary of the Seonjin Happiness Foundation's donation accounts. The scene in which those on the side of justice uncovered the identity of evil was a highlight.
Using the pottery painting in the talisman left by Park Kwang-to as a clue, Lee Han-young secretly infiltrated Suojae and succeeded in securing a corruption USB hidden in a pottery piece that matched the painting. As a result, Suojae figures, including Chairman Jang Yong-hyun, were consecutively brought to justice, and the recovery of the collapsed judicial system provided a sense of relief.
Meanwhile, accused of murder, Lee Han-young told Baek Yi-seok, who said he would allow an investigation without detention if he surrendered, "I will catch Kang Shin-jin and return to the courtroom." With help from the Panvengers, Lee Han-young found the Kang Shin-jin who was trying to flee by sea and captured him. The evil men met their worst fate as Hae Nal law firm representative Yoo Seon-cheol (Ahn Nae-sang) and Yoo Jin-gwang (Heo Hyeong-gyu), who aided Kang Shin-jin, were also taken away.
In the final trial, Lee Han-young confronted Kang Shin-jin, who defended himself, saying, "I willingly became a sacrifice to change a Korea where rotten power has become dirty justice." Lee Han-young directly rebutted Kang Shin-jin's opinion, saying, "Justice is direction, not speed. Justice set by an individual will never change the world. The only people who thought they could change the world themselves were dictators." Finally, Lee Han-young sentenced Kang Shin-jin to death "with the ordinariness that anyone feels," cutting off their evil tie.
Though it seemed everything was over, a twist occurred with a new occupant appearing in Suojae. Surprisingly, Baek Yi-seok sat in the number two position, and Kang Shin-jin, who was in prison, secretly received a cellphone from a correctional officer and smiled, implying that the dark power had not yet been severed. Unaware of this, after finishing his visit with Kang Shin-jin, Lee Han-young monologued, "Is everything really over now? Or will I continue to live like this as atonement for sins from a past life? So, in any case, can my choice still be just?" Although not a complete victory, the ending in which Lee Han-young greeted the Panvengers colleagues with bright smiles symbolized hope that does not break even within the clutches of evil and left a deep impression.
Thus, The Judge Returns created many fans through the passionate performances of trusted actors such as Jisung, Park Hee-soon and Won Jin-a, director Lee Jae-jin's stylish direction and writer Kim Kwang-min's solid script. With a fast-paced narrative and a story that maximized immersion, it not only wrote a new chapter in well-made courtroom dramas but also concluded its epic journey as the overwhelming No. 1 Friday-Saturday drama. Beyond a simple revenge story, The Judge Returns, which made viewers reconsider the true value of justice, will remain deeply in viewers' hearts.
[Photo] MBC
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